Washington D.C. – House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), a senior member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement in response to U.S.-backed forces claim of victory over ISIS in Raqqa, Syria.

Chairman McCaul: “The defeat of ISIS in its proclaimed capital of Raqqa signifies the continuing deterioration of the so-called ‘caliphate.’ This is a significant victory for the U.S. and our partners in the campaign to defeat ISIS. While their territory continues to shrink, they remain a credible terror threat both at home and abroad so we must continue to fight against the affiliate groups and their networks that carry out and inspire terror around the globe. The U.S. must not forget the lessons learned from the Obama administration’s precipitous withdrawal from the region. We need to preserve our military power and influence in order to dispel Iran’s attempts to exert influence at the expense of U.S. national security and to ensure a lasting defeat of ISIS.”